The human body needs sunlight in order to produce Vitamin D, often called the fertility vitamin, because a lack of it has been most conclusively linked to infertility1.

Led by Dr Anne Clark 2, the researchers examined 800 infertile men. 30% of those were found to have lowered levels of Vitamin D in their bodies.

100 of these men then changed their lifestyle:

They exposed themselves to more sun so their bodies were able to produce more Vitamin D.

They supplemented Vitamins, which also included antioxidants.

They reduced their consumption of alcohol and nicotine.

They exercised and lost some weight if they were over weight at the beginning of the study.

The results were indeed similar to other studies, which looked at the influence of nutrition and lifestyle on the fertility in men:

On average their sperm was 75% less damaged

40% of men, who were previously infertile were now able to have children.

The Importance of Vitamin D for Male Fertility

In a 2006 study3 vitamin D receptors were first discovered in the head, nucleus and mid-pieces of human sperm pin-pointing vitamin D’s integral role in sperm health.

A study investigating the role of vitamin D in human sperm4 confirmed the presence of vitamin D receptors (VDR) in sperm and concluded that vitamin D offers therapeutic opportunities in the treatment of the male reproduction disorders.

A further Italian study has shown that vitamin D status may be an important determinant of sperm capacitation – necessary for the sperm to penetrate the egg – and how well sperm freezes. The study concluded that vitamin D concentrations may have an important role in sperm survival and the acquisition of fertilizing ability1.

Vitamin D is also responsible for the absorption of calcium and phosphate6, both fundamental nutrients for human health. Some Vitamin D is absorbed via foods from the diet, but the vast majority is produced via photosynthesis in the skin.

This is indeed the reason for the wide-spread deficiency of Vitamin D: in the northern hemisphere our skin does not receive enough sunlight to be able to produce a sufficient amount of Vitamin D. As a minimum, exposure of the face, arms and lower legs for minimum 30 minutes per day is needed. This however, is usually only given during summer months.

How much vitamin D should I take?

When attempting to conceive, Vitamin D should be supplemented in quantities of 4000 IU (0.01 mg or 10 µg) according to formal research 7.

Furthermore, a large study in 2012 examined mother’s vitamin D levels and their relationship to birth weights. This study conclusively showed that babies of women, who are deficient in vitamin D during the first trimester of their pregnancy, are twice as likely to suffer growth restrictions in the uterus. 8

Natural Male Fertility Supplements

A convenient way to ensure adequate vitamin D levels (as well as all other important male fertility supplements) are present in the body to improve your fertility. The European market is saturated with many male fertility supplements. However, the products differ significantly in terms of nutrients andprice. Menfertility.org has carefully compared 10 of them in terms of value for money and nutrients provided.